Chapter 245: BUT LOOK AT YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT

[Song Rec: I Wanna Be Yours]

Both hands settled on Guiying’s waist, fingers pressing in without warning.

A startled laugh burst out of Guiying, squirming under the sudden grip. "Stop, you’re tickling me!"

Undeterred, Liuxian’s hands kept moving, chasing the ticklish spot along his ribs, any trace of exhaustion from earlier apparently forgotten entirely.

Between fits of laughter, Guiying twisted and wriggled until he finally slipped free, breathless, swatting at Liuxian’s hands. "Okay, okay, enough!"

Pushing himself upright, he pointed toward the clothes laid out on the bed. "Wear your clothes so I can dry your hair. Don’t want you catching a cold. Uncle Li’s bringing food for you, so eat, and then we can sleep."

....

"But I thought we were going to have sex?"

-_-

"You said you were tired?"

"Well, I’m not tired anymore." Liuxian reached for him again, undeterred. "Let’s fuck, Guiying. Let’s fuck."

-_-

"Ugh, don’t be weird." Guiying pulled a face, shoving lightly at his chest. "That’s so weird. Don’t talk like that again."

-_-

"Why not?" Liuxian tilted his head, entirely unbothered. "You just gotta open those legs, let me dive in."

A fresh laugh escaped Guiying despite himself, shaking his head. Where on earth was he pulling these lines from?

"Okay, okay." He patted Liuxian’s cheek, amusement still dancing in his eyes. "You be a good boy. Good boys are the ones who get to eat cake."

Liuxian’s expression lit up immediately, triumphant, entirely too pleased with himself for someone about to be handed a bowl of soup instead of anything resembling cake.

Quickly pulling his clothes on, Liuxian settled down between Guiying’s legs, content, waiting for the hairdryer to click on.

Warm air swept through his damp hair, Guiying’s fingers working through the strands with practiced care.

"Ah, that feels so nice." Liuxian’s eyes drifted half shut, shoulders loosening under the attention. "Coming home to a husband who loves you is the best feeling in the world. Thank you for taking care of me, my darling."

Bending down, Guiying pressed a kiss to his cheek. "That’s right. You’re getting this special treatment because I love you." He set the dryer aside once his hair had dried enough. "Should I massage your shoulders too?"

"I’d love that." Liuxian’s smile widened, entirely unashamed of how much he was enjoying being fussed over.

Midway through working his thumbs into the tension along Liuxian’s shoulders, a knock sounded at the door.

Old Li stood outside with a tray balanced carefully in both hands. "This is a warm, nutritious meal, young master. I hope you enjoy it. I’ll leave it outside the door." He set it down on the table near the window. "Have a wonderful night."

The meal turned out just as soothing as promised, easing something in Liuxian’s stomach that had been unsettled since the diagnosis.

Guiying stayed close throughout, making sure he took his medication properly, handing him more water the moment his cup ran low.

Being cared for so thoroughly left Liuxian almost giddy, privately entertaining the idea of claiming exhaustion more often if this was the reward waiting on the other side of it.

Once the last bite was gone, he flopped back onto the bed with a satisfied groan. "That was a good meal."

Lying down beside him, Guiying swept a few loose strands of hair away from his face. "Your hair’s getting pretty long."

Reaching up, Liuxian caught a few strands between his fingers, checking the length for himself. Guiying was right. He’d head to the salon tomorrow.

"Do you like my hair long or short?" He turned his head slightly against the pillow. "I want to look my very best for you."

Warmth rushed up Guiying’s face at that, the question landing somewhere soft and unguarded in his chest.

"I don’t know." He traced a finger lightly along Liuxian’s jaw. "I’ve never seen you with short hair. You’d look good either way."

Pulling him closer, Liuxian wrapped an arm around his waist until there was no space left between them, foreheads nearly touching, legs tangled together beneath the blanket.

His pupils swallowed most of the black in his eyes, and his gaze moved slowly, deliberately, tracing the line of Guiying’s brow, the curve of his cheek, the shape of his mouth, the way a person studies something they’re afraid might disappear if they blink.

"You’re so warm." His voice dropped low, rough at the edges. "I could stay right here and never move again."

A small laugh escaped Guiying, though it caught halfway, snagged on something in that stare he couldn’t quite name.

Slowly, Liuxian dragged his nose along the side of Guiying’s neck, breathing in deep, once, then again. "You smell nice too. Like soap, and something underneath that’s just you."

"You’re staring." Heat crept up Guiying’s neck under that unblinking attention.

"I know." Liuxian’s eyes didn’t move. "But look at you, you’re perfect."

His thumb pressed slow circles against the small of Guiying’s back, his gaze dropping to his mouth for a beat before climbing back to his eyes.

Swallowing hard, he pressed his forehead harder against Guiying’s, his breath uneven now. "Tonight." His voice cracked on the single word. "You dried my hair. Fed me. Made sure I took my medicine, handed me water before I even asked for more."

His hand found Guiying’s jaw, thumb tracing slow along his cheekbone, fingers trembling slightly against his skin.

"No one’s done that for me. Not like this." His throat worked around the next words. "Not because they wanted to."

Guiying’s chest rose and fell faster now, his own eyes shining wet in the low light, unable to hold that stare without his breath catching.

"I’m grateful." Liuxian’s voice thinned to almost nothing, his hand tightening slightly at Guiying’s waist. "That you exist. That out of everyone, everywhere, you chose to spend it loving me."

A tear slipped free before Guiying could stop it, tracking silently down toward the pillow.

Ducking his head, he pressed his face into the curve of Liuxian’s collarbone, hiding there, his fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt.

"Your heartbeat’s loud." He said, muffled against his skin, barely audible.

Gently, Liuxian tipped his chin back up, forcing their eyes to meet again, his own throat working once before he spoke.

"That’s you." His voice barely carried. "You did that to me. Every day. Tonight more than most. I love you."

Neither of them spoke after that. Liuxian’s eyes stayed open, fixed on his face, unwilling to close them even as his own breathing slowed, unwilling to lose a single second of him to sleep before he had to.